Tennis News

SINGAPORE – Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova were in high spirits as they reflected on their win over Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, which made them the doubles champions at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

“We were coming here so motivated to have this trophy,” Makarova admitted in their post-match press conference. “We came so early, because two years ago we came quite late – we had just two days for practice.”

“Not enough,” Vesnina interjected.

“Yeah, we came one week before [this year’s tournament began], and were ready, and really wanted this trophy,” Makarova continued. “We’re so happy that we did it today.”

They were quick to pay tribute to their vanquished opponents, and the role they played in making the match such a special occasion.

“We [have] always had tough matches against Lucie and Bethanie,” Vesnina said. “We know that it has to be [a] good match from us and we have to… up our level of the game, because otherwise we won’t beat them. It was really good quality tennis today in the final.”

Vesnina and Makarova’s win meant that Sania Mirza finishes the year as Doubles World No.1. The champions wondered whether she might want to thank them for their part in her ranking – or whether she was still smarting from her semifinal loss.

“Congrats to Sania, by the way,” Vesnina said with a smile. “She should give us some gift, I think. We still beat her in the semifinal so she’s upset.”

The new champions were also keen to talk about why they think their partnership works – despite the two players being polar opposites.

“We are different a little bit, but I think that [the partnership] is working because we are different,” Makarova suggested. “Yeah, I’m more quiet and Lena is more –

“I’m talking all the time!” interrupted Vesnina, and her partner agreed. “She’s lefty; I’m a right-hander. Left-handed people, you know that they’re thinking with a different part of the brain and I’m thinking with a different [part of mine]. So that’s why we’re different, but we are still together.”

“Yes – but we are still good to each other,” Makarova added.

Unsurprisingly, the pair are planning a break between Christmas and New Year – but are expecting that they will reunite in January to begin their 2017 campaign.

“For sure we will play Australian Open together, yeah; maybe the tournament before,” Makarova confirmed. 

“Now we want to enjoy this moment. We want to have a holiday. She goes to Zhuhai, so her season is not finished yet. We wish you will all big good luck there -same way as here.

“Then definitely, yeah, we will be ready for Australia.”

Tianjin, China – Shuai Peng claimed the first WTA singles title of her career by beating Alison Riske at the Tianjin Open.

Peng, who has slipped to No.182 in the WTA Rankings because of injury problems, took a wildcard from the tournament and emerged victorious in the final by beating a player ranked almost 130 places ahead of her 7-6, 6-2.

It was Riske who made the early running but Peng proved to be obdurate opposition, saving nine break points before eventually succumbing to the American.

However, her advantage was short lived, with Peng breaking back immediately. Riske went up a break one more to give herself a chance to serve for the set at 6-5, but history repeated itself and Peng forced a tiebreak, which she eventually won.

Riske had a hangover heading into the second set, falling a break behind in the first game. Peng doubled her advantage soon after and closed out the match to confirm a stunning upset.

“The match was really tough for me today,” Riske said after the match. 

“I had a really tough day in general, playing Kuznetsova earlier, I did the best I could, Peng had a great match, she was the better player today.

“I think this year was huge for me, I finished in the top 50. I take a lot of pride in it and confidence from my season, I look forward to what 2017 brings.”

To tell the story of 2016 is to tell the story of Angelique Kerber’s transformation from a talented grinder – one who couldn’t shake her tendency of coming up small in big situations – to the model of work ethic and persistence that grew to shine when the spotlight was at its brightest. She goes into her fourth WTA Finals as a two-time major champion, the winningest woman on tour this season, and set to clinch the year-end No.1 ranking.

The evolution began in Singapore last year, when the German capped off her 2015 season with a nervous, disappointing loss to Lucie Safarova at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Having never qualified out of the round robin stage in her two previous attempts, Kerber found herself a set away from advancing to the semifinals. All she had to do was take a set off a recovering Lucie Safarova, who had qualified on the strength of her season but was coming off months of illness. It was supposed to be a straightforward match.

Kerber lost in straight sets. And she was furious with herself afterwards, admitting that the pressure got to her and she blinked. When she sat down with her coach Torben Beltz in the off-season, the two vowed that sort of capitulation would never happen again.

They also made it their goal to peak for the tour’s biggest events. Coming into this season Kerber had not made a major semifinal since Wimbledon in 2012. Despite a strong season that saw her win four Premier titles, she sputtered at the Slams, failing to make the second week at all four. No longer content with being a solid Top 10 player, Kerber let loose her ambition. It paid off immediately.

First came her shock run to the Australian Open title, where she went from match point down to Misaki Doi in the first round to beating an in-form Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals, all before playing an incredible match to beat then-No.1 Serena Williams to win her first major title.

From there she proved herself the most reliable challenger to Serena throughout the season as well as the most consistent player on tour over the course of 10 months, a rare combination in recent times. She went 59-17 on the season, making the semifinals or better at 10 events this year. She successfully defended her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart (her first career title defense), backed up her Australian Open run by making the Wimbledon final, and charged through the summer hardcourts, where she made three consecutive finals at the Olympic tennis event, the Western & Southern Open, and the US Open.

With the No.1 ranking on the line in New York, Kerber marched towards the final without a hitch and then capped off her Slam season with a tough three-set win over Karolina Pliskova to win the US Open and again prove that her season was not about a stellar two or four week run of tournaments, but about her ability to win throughout the season.

Through it all, Kerber proved herself to be one of the best pure competitors on tour this year. On hardcourts, clay courts, or grass, Kerber battled for every point and every match. She amped up her forehand and became a more aggressive player in 2016. When matches got tight in the past, Kerber’s counterpunching style would default into a more defensive stance. This year it defaulted into offense. She backed herself, took her chances, and took control over her own destiny.

“I played a lot of tough matches last year like three sets and especially here, as well, against Victoria Azarenka [at the US Open] last year,” Kerber said in Flushing. “That was also one match I remember where I really just pushed the balls and I was not going for it. So there were a lot of matches last year where I knew that I have to be aggressive to win it. This change also in my mind. To making the transfer is not so easy, but I think I did it well.”

After she won the US Open, I asked Kerber what was the loudest, most frequent criticism of her game when she was a teenager. The woman who has tallied a 17-5 record in three-set matches this year, winning two pressure-soaked three-set Slam finals, didn’t hesitate with a response.

“Actually when I was starting when I was 16 or 17, my fitness was the worst,” Kerber said. “Everybody was telling me that I needed to train more my fitness. Ten years later my fitness is the best and I can move forever on the court.

“I was too slow, I couldn’t play three sets because I was not prepared for this. Also conditions, when it was really hot I was like ok, I have to run again. That’s changed. Everything’s changed. I think you have to learn how to work very hard. I think that was a process for me, to really see that when you’re working really hard on your fitness your results are better.”

“When you know you can run forever on court and you’re not worried that you can play three sets. I think this is really important for your confidence that you can play like two, three hours and you can go for it. I think I was working a lot on these things. This gives me a lot of confidence, especially also in Australia where it’s really hot.”

Kerber’s physical and mental transformation shows in the titles she’s won this year. Through the searing heat of the Australian Open, the nerves of defending the biggest German title in Stuttgart, and rising through the New York pressure cooker, Kerber never wavered in her belief in her game and her abilities. Hers is a story that should inspire the other women in the locker room, those who may not have been given the power shots that tend to define the modern game. Speak to Kerber enough and you’ll realize one of her key phrases when discussing the key to her game or her season is “going for it.”

In 2016, no one seized her moment like Angelique Kerber.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

SINGAPORE – Dominika Cibulkova has climbed to a career-high ranking of World No.5 after stunning Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-4, to win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

The Slovakian began the tournament as World No.8 and looked set to make an early exit when she lost her first two round robin matches.

However, after beating Simona Halep to reach the semifinals, she recorded a victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova before upsetting the Australian Open and US Open champion to claim the title.

The win moves her up to fifth, leapfrogging Karolina Pliskova, Garbiñe Muguruza and Madison Keys, who were all eliminated at the round-robin phase.

Had Cibulkova won her first two round-robin matches, she would be just over 100 points behind Simona Halep, who remains as World No.4.

Kerber secured her status as year-end World No.1 thanks to Serena Williams’ withdrawal from the tournament and received her award in Singapore.

Meanwhile, in the doubles rankings, Sania Mirza hangs on to top spot despite her and Martina Hingis’ semifinal exit in Singapore.

As Dominika Cibulkova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Peng Shuai showed over the weekend, comebacks come in all manner of ways. And to appreciate what each woman did to win the weekend titles, you have to understand what they’ve come back from.

Cibulkova finally earns her spot in Singapore.

For Cibulkova, her run to her third title of the season at the Generali Ladies Linz capped of a resurgent year that saw her return to the Top 10 and qualify for her first BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. After a strong Asian Swing, in which she made the final of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, Cibulkova knew she had to win the title in Linz to qualify for Singapore.

This was not the first time the 27-year-old had a chance to earn a berth for the WTA Finals. In 2014, reaching her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open put her in the RTS mix just as the tour turned to the summer hardcourt season. She went on to win just three regular season matches after Wimbledon. As Cibulkova has said, she wanted to qualify so badly she could not enjoy her tennis or play well.

“In 2014 I was very close, and that’s what made me very intense and want it too much,” Cibulkova told WTA Insider after triumphing at the Aegon International in June. “I was over-motivated and it didn’t happen.” She vowed to learn her lesson after that disappointment, and with a help of a sports psychologist, Cibulkova she had to let go in order to excel.

Then came a heel surgery in the spring of 2015, which sidelined Cibulkova for five months. She went from being a Top 10 player in 2014 to No. 66 at the start of this season. The climb back has been a steady and methodical one, highlighted by three titles and three big finals as well, at the Mutua Madrid Open, Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.

And it all came together perfectly in Linz, where she won the title, under pressure, without losing a set.

Wozniacki’s abrupt U-Turn.

Everything you need to know about Wozniacki’s year can be summed up in a single stat. Wozniacki was 13-14 before the US Open this year. Since then? She’s 19-3, with those three losses coming coming to Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska.

After making her surprise run to the US Open semifinals – her best result at a major since 2014 – the Dane has won two titles, at the Toray Pan Pacific Open and now the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. After a season of fits and starts that saw her struggle to remain healthy and build momentum, Wozniacki is now back in the Top 20 with a solid shot to qualify for the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

In fact, with her entry in this week’s tournament in Luxembourg and as one of the in-form players heading to Zhuhai, Wozniacki should put herself in great position to get back in the Top 10 early next year. That’s an incredible turnaround for a player who was ranked No.74 less than two months ago.

Peng Shuai’s overdue win on home soil.

But the best story of the weekend came at the Tianjin Open, where 30-year-old Peng Shuai, who had been the standard-bearer of Chinese tennis for years along with Li Na, finally won her maiden WTA title. It was just two years ago that the Tianjin native made her Slam breakthrough, advancing to her first major semifinal at the US Open in 2014. That run helped boost her back in the Top 20 – she reached a career-high No.14 in 2011 – but tennis has an uncanny knack for cruelty. In 2015, Peng underwent major back surgery after the French Open last year, a decision to took because she hoped to prolong her career, because despite her legacy as one of the best players China has ever produced, Peng wasn’t done yet.

“The doctors told me I should think twice before taking this operation and surgery,” Peng said. “They said no one can make sure that the operation could be successful, 100%. The doctors performed this operation on me and told me there was a 50% possibility I could come back to the court. Before the surgery, the question was whether I could come back to the court or not. So maybe after this surgery my performance will not be very good. Before and after the surgery, the difference, the gap, was huge.

“After the surgery, I needed to do a lot of training and practicing. Something I could do in the past, maybe I could not do it today after the surgery. I need to take gradual steps to improve myself after the surgery. I think more important for me is to stay healthy and fit, otherwise I cannot continue my professional career.”

Peng’s ranking fell to as low as No.768 this season; the comeback has been slow and painful. During the off-season training block she had to lie in bed for three days after training because of the pain. She rushed her return in order to represent China at the Olympic tennis event in Rio but everything began to come together during the Asian Swing.

She beat Venus Williams at the China Open in front of a raucous home crowd and now, returning to her home in Tianjin, she swept both the singles and doubles title with Christina McHale. The win puts her ranking at No.108, and if she can move up a few more spots before year’s end she could earn direct entry into the main draw at the Australian Open.

“For me, two years ago, I was at a peak level,” Peng said at the China Open. “I could choose whether I would like to play or not. Actually, my friends and family did not agree with my surgery, because it’s too risky. Now I’m near 30 years old. After the surgery, no one could guarantee I could come back to the court. What if I have more injuries if I come back to the court? I’d like to thank them for their support and care. I am a little bit stubborn to have the surgery. My friends and family supported me to undergo this surgery. It was quite a challenge for me.

“Actually, life is full of challenges and uncertainties. This challenge is quite unique for me. I’ve made efforts in the tennis world for more than two decades. I sacrificed a lot of youth, time and energy. I’d like to take time to see if I can go further or not. Of course, if I retire, maybe I will live a normal life like others. I may have a family, babies. It’s another way of life. But I’m still happy that I made that choice.

“In retrospect, everything is on the right way. I don’t know whether I can come back to my past glory or peak. I believe I have so many supporters, and my team. I would like to sacrifice more. My goal is clear: to play more matches, be it singles or doubles. The key is to come back to the court. I feel excited about it. No other thoughts.

“When my ranking was high, I felt huge pressure. I still need to take care of other stuff, although right now I’m at the bottom level, my friends and family are still there to support me. I can look at the results in this cool-headed way.

Peng is one of a significant group of Chinese players who hail from Tianjin. In addition to Peng, China’s current Top 4 all call Tianjin home: Zhang Shuai, Zheng Saisai, Wang Qiang, and Duan Ying-Ying. The player cite Tianjin’s flexible tennis system, which allows players to go at their own pace and ambition, as the reason for their superior recruitment and retention of top talent.

With Peng finally earning the WTA title that long eluded her, the Tianjin Open get the fairytale ending it deserved.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.